


Wolves on the Hunt

by ThebSayraduka



Category: Overwatch (Video Game), The Wolf Among Us
Genre: A Touch of Comedy, AU Story, Abbie McCree (OC) - Freeform, And Sass, Crime/Mystery Genre, Crossover, Dragons, Eli Morrison (OC) - Freeform, F/M, Fables - Freeform, Fairy Tale Creatures, Father Daughter moments, Hana Song - Freeform, Hana's a bunny, Jack Morrison - Freeform, Jesse's a dad, Lucio's a froggie, Lúcio Correia dos Santos - Freeform, M/M, McHanzo - Freeform, Megumi Shimada (OC) - Freeform, New York, OC's in this story, Overwatch - Freeform, Reaper?, Son of a Fate Sister?, Son of a Reaper?, Wolf Among Us - Freeform, Wolves, Yakuza, fabletown - Freeform, gabriel reyes - Freeform, glamour, hanzo shimada - Freeform, jesse mccree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-05-31
Packaged: 2018-11-03 22:27:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10976631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThebSayraduka/pseuds/ThebSayraduka
Summary: First at The Farm, now in Fabletown, Fable children are disappearing and at an alarming rate sending the community in a stir and paranoid for their families. With no other choice, Sheriff Bigby Wolf asks for help from another Wolf from the other side of Fabletown by the name of Jesse McCree who - with no problems stirring from the yakuza family of New York - happily obliges since he has his own pup to protect. Next thing they know, things start to get dangerous when things get a little too close to home. After all, it's not wise to steal from wolves.





	1. From Country Folk to City Slickers

**Author's Note:**

> In order to solve the case, Bigby has called in a favor from the sheriff of a nearby police department… Sheriff Jesse McCree

Shit.. A word that can describe what the infamous Sheriff Bigby Wolf is feeling and the condition that Fabletown was in. Just a few months back, The Crooked Man nearly caused an entire war to break out between all of the Fables and they were lucky enough to have a bit of help to take him down before things could get worse. Now, he and Deputy Mayor Snow White aren't seeming so lucky with this new case. 

Or "cases" for lack of better word..

There's been word of someone or something snatching up Fable children from Fabletown as well as the Farm outside of the city, and no one seems to know why.

In order to get any possible leads for the case, Bigby called in a favor from an old "friend" of his in Sheriff Jesse McCree. McCree was known for being deceptively cunning and knew his strengths and weaknesses, he also knew how to play well with others, so Snow wasn't against him helping with the case.

Jesse McCree was also a well-known Fable amongst all of Fabletown. The story goes is that he was actually one of two "brother" wolves of the many stories that were often confused for the other. Bigby, however, was always given the blame for what happened in those stories due to his hostility since Jesse really seemed to have mellowed out since all the Fables came to the new world centuries ago. He was turned human just as Bigby was but under different circumstances. While Bigby was stabbed with a hexed dagger from Snow, Bigby was able to help Jesse become human by making a bargain with the witches to turn Jesse human and be able to shift between forms just like Bigby. He still liked being a wolf, but not as much as being human more than anything. 'Liked being able to speak his mind' as Jesse often told Bigby.

Bigby never had a problem with Jesse in the past concerning their history, nor did he have a problem with his methods in present day as sheriffs of Fabletown. But, one of his methods that definitely had him on edge more than anything is that he would often mingle with the Mundies of New York City. While he did have his own boldness, he wouldn't admit upfront that Jesse had more boldness than him when it came to associating with the Mundies. Not that he wouldn't, keep that in mind, but he just figured that the Mundies out to keep their nose out of Fabletown business. 

To be blunt, it wasn't all that Jesse did. He had the stones to get together with a Mundy woman and pro-created the first half-breed child known to Fable-kind. A daughter that seemed more Mundy than Fable, at least that's what Crane pointed out. As much as he hated the scrawny bastard, he had to admit that Crane was right. Since Jesse's daughter was the first of her kind, it was entirely unsure if she would be a Fable like her father or a Mundy like her mother. Only time would tell..

As for Bigby and McCree? Well, they and Ms. Snow believe that they should take a look around the areas where the kidnappings have occurred at to start their investigation and possibly find any clues that may help them start to piece together why only Fable kids have been taken. 

They first began to disappear from the first location in the Farm just outside of New York City limits, where the first kid, Toad Jr. AKA TJ, was taken while walking from the nearby pool. The area seemed to be a safe spot much like the Farm in general, but for some reason, TJ was taken.

When the wolves arrived at the Farm, they could tell a lot of them were uncomfortable seeing them there. Couldn't blame most of them; they were wolves by nature, even if they were keeping their true nature hidden. Colin, however, never had a problem with Bigby and Jesse because he was either brave or stupid, none could really tell the difference. Once they found Mr. Toad they were able to get his statement about TJ's disappearance. 

According to Mr. Toad, the day it happened, TJ simply said he was going for a swim in a nearby river then the pool to stay within Farm limits and never came back after dark. Mr. Toad certainly had everyone in a flustered and unneeded panic. No one could blame him, his only son was missing and no one knew who did it, where they took him, and why they'd take him. Some probably suggested that he just simply wandered too far from the rivers he liked to swim in & got lost in the nearby woods. Bigby knew that wasn't the case; TJ was a good kid, listened to his dad, well-behaved, and never lied.

Jesse never knew them much but when Bigby went out to the Farm to get information on TJ's disappearance, he certainly got an earful from Mr. Toad about everything. Said if it wasn't for Bigby sending them to the Farm, TJ wouldn't have gotten taken. But it was just like Snow said after she became Deputy Mayor, any unglamoured Fables that couldn't pass for human had to go and stay at the farm. Bigby didn't make the rules, he just enforced them. As for Jesse, however, he was investigating around the Farm while Bigby got statements from the other Fables there concerning TJ.

"Well darlin' ya think we'll be able to find a clue here? I ain't never dealt with a missing kid's case before... however, I ain't never left a case unsolved either." McCree spoke aloud to Bigby, rubbing his chin as he looked around the area for any sign of clues or hints to where TJ could have been taken or why he was taken.

Bigby let out an annoyed puff of his Huff'n'Puff cigarette. He hated that Jesse called just about everyone "darlin" or some other form of a nickname that could be taken the wrong way. But he couldn't agree more about unsolved cases, but he felt like he should point out about his playful banter. "First off, McCree, quit with the 'darling' shit," voice sounding calm but with a light growl in his voice, "And secondly, if we look around without raising questions, I'm sure we'll find a clue or two about TJ's disappearance. I know Snow and Toad won't let me hear the end of it if we don't find a lead on the little guy and where he went."

McCree simply chuckled before taking a drag from his signature cigar before placing both hands on his hip with a smirk. "Ah now you done hurt my feelings, Bigby. Here I thought we were good buddies. No need for such a rude reply." McCree replied as he bent down to look at a few footprints before raising an eyebrow as he picked up a familiar blue beetle from off the ground. "Was the lil fella into collectin' bugs at all? I think I found something." 

Bigby stepped over hearing Jesse's hint about an insect. Around the Farm there's enough forestry and rivers around that of course there'd be insects nearby, but he wouldn't pass up any clues. "Yeah, Snow said TJ had an insect collection. Even gave her one of his own beetles the day he left the Woodlands for the Farm," Bigby replied before kneeling down beside Jesse. He saw the blue bug in his hand and inspected it carefully. That bug definitely looked familiar: a blue Willow Beetle. 

Feeling a bit stumped by this find, he had a curious growl scratching at a scruff of facial hair on his chin before he spoke up with a low tone. "Definitely looks familiar. Snow has one just like this that she got from TJ the day he left for the Farm. But this doesn't make sense.. From what I heard from Snow, this kind of beetle isn't local to the States," Bigby said as he and Jesse stood up together, "She said they're only found in Sweden. So what's a blue willow beetle doing here? They can't be migrating here at this time of year."

"Hmm... maybe the lil fella was lured away and taken when someone peaked his interest about one of these things? Or maybe he had this one in his pocket and it fell out when he was taken?" McCree tossed up to Bigby, confused as well as to why this rare beetle was their first clue on the scene. "I'll be honest... this is one curious clue I have ever found."

"Tell me about it," Bigby said catching the beetle, being careful not to crush it, "But, if he had it in his pocket, he would've had it in a wooden case like the last willow beetle he gave to Snow. So maybe whoever got him lured him in, like you said. Hard to say for sure, but we promised Toad we'd find TJ. Just like we did with the other Fables who lost their kids here at the Farm." He took another puff of his cigarette trying to think things through, but it only led to more questions. "But why TJ? Why Fable kids from here on the Farm? Will more go missing from here? What's the connection? This is one confusing mess after another."

"Ya said it partner... and right now we don't have any answers, and it will stay that way unless we find somethin' out fast... I got a feelin' that it's only a matter of time before another tyke gets taken," McCree stated as he straightened up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "They got any security cameras or street cameras around these parts? We could take a look at those and maybe catch a look at the culprit."

"Last I heard from Flycatcher, they got surveillance at every entrance and on specific posts surrounding the Farm to make sure unglamoured Fables don't sneak off. Never stopped Colin though.. You wanna check those while I sniff around a bit more," Bigby asked seeing Jesse straighten up, "Maybe I can find at least another clue around here as to who might've snuck in and how they got in and out undetected. Or at least see how they snaked around without setting off any alarms, figuratively and literally."

"Remind me to have a talk with that pig later about him sneaking off the Farm. As for ya, I'll let ya know if I find anything. Just holler if ya need me to help out with anything." McCree said as he walked to the security building, managing to get access to the security tapes after a few moments of chatting with the guards.

Bigby, on the other hand, checked around the perimeter of the Farm's fence and for any clues. Tattered clothes, suspicious prints, or whatever he could find that could try and point them in the right direction, or at the very least give him an idea as to who would steal the Fable children. He already has suspicions on a few faces and names, Bloody Mary being one of them; but he hasn't seen any trace of her since he bit her and her doppelgangers to pieces as a full wolf, and that was months ago when they took down the Crooked Man. 

It still haunted him on what Jesse said, that if they don't get any more leads as to who's behind all this, then it's only a matter of time before another Fable kid is taken. He just couldn't shake the feeling that it could be from either the Farm or from Fabletown itself. Bigby could sense Jesse was worried about it. He had his own daughter to protect, his "little pup" he named Abbie McCree, and he'd do anything to keep her from harm. But, Bigby could tell that the stress of being a single father, being a sheriff of Fabletown, as well as dealing with a powerful yakuza family that was also a family of Fables in New York City was heavy on his shoulders. Jesse wouldn't let that stress show through his tough exterior though; had to stay strong for his daughter as well as the rest of Fabletown.

McCree scanned through the footage of the night TJ went missing, studying the screen carefully as he looked for any sign of foul play or suspicious looking characters. After 10 minutes of searching, he sat up sharply when he saw TJ looking around nervously as he walked towards the bottom of the screen. "Bigby! I got footage of TJ! Come take a gander," McCree yelled as he continued to watch. He then noticed a strange shadow in the edge of the forest that seemed to catch TJ's attention. The alley was too dark to make out if the figure was a male or female, but TJ was soon grabbed and pulled into the shadows. "Oh no..." was all that left his lips.

After hearing Jesse call out from the security office, Bigby made his way up in a slight rush but eventually made it to where Jesse was checking over the security footage. When he made it, however, he saw Jesse staring at the screen, as if in a panic and face pale. "Hey, McCree," he said while lightly shaking his shoulder, "McCree, what'd you find?"

He saw Jesse rewind and play back the footage and it's there that Bigby saw the shadowy figure that took TJ while he was walking back to the Farm. It was like it was a black ghost just whisked away TJ into complete nothingness, leaving him stunned. "Son of a.. What was that thing," was all that slipped out of Bigby when he saw the wispy black shape disappear back into the tree-line.

"I ain't.... never seen somethin like that before...." McCree muttered out, still staring at the screen with a pale look on his face. "G-Good God the kids must be scared shitless..." He rewinded the tape and paused to where the shadow could be seen and tried to zoom in to get a clearer picture. "I-Its like the thing is nothing but smoke... how the hell..." 

Bigby was still having a hard time processing what he was seeing, so what would he tell Snow and Mayor Cole back at the Business Office? That a person made of smoke kidnapped the Fable kids at the Farm and is still doing it wherever it's gone to? He straightened up and rubbed his forehead lightly, tempted to light another Huff'n'Puff, but felt himself momentarily drained to do so. He felt a chill run through his system when he saw the ghost-like figure take TJ and since he was on good terms with the kid, it was unnerving to see it happen on surveillance. 

"Think we... uh... should tell Toad what we found? I myself am worried he'll start a panic if he sees this footage..." McCree admitted as he stood up and paced around the room to get his blood flowing again. "I think we should take the footage with us, just to make sure nobody sees this. It could be the difference between us quietly sneaking up on whoever did this, or us being seen from a mile away. It's ya call, sheriff." 

"Hold on, McCree, we're both sheriffs here and Toad is getting no-where near this tape," Bigby interjected matter-of-factly, "Honestly, we take the footage with us to the Business Office and let Mayor Cole and Snow look over. But while we're here, we tell Toad and the others with missing kids that we got a lead on who might be behind it and nothing more. We don't wanna start anything we can't control, especially if it reaches the city. We'll have chaos on our hands again just like how it was with the Crooked Man. Thank Greenleaf he's a squawking crow now," he finished with a grumble. Once the tape was finished with rewinding, he took the tape and kept a stern grip on it as they walked out. Once outside, he finally felt the urge to light another cigarette and when McCree needed to relight his cigar he offered the fire from his Zippo lighter.

"Thank ya kindly for the light." McCree muttered before enjoying his cigar, sighing as he was able to calm down from seeing the rather disturbing footage. "I agree... I heard you had a hell of a time dealing with everyone during the Crooked Man case. Well let's hurry on back to the office before Ms. Snow begins to worry about us." McCree remarked as he flicked off some ashes off the end of his cigar.

Bigby nodded in agreement, but in true to his word, he told Toad and the other Fables that they had a lead and would be following on it once they reached the Business Office back in the city. Of course, Toad was skeptical, but took his word nonetheless. Afterward, Bigby and Jesse started the long drive back to the Business Office in the Woodlands. 

Once there, they were greeted with the usual crowd, Beauty and Beast, Bluebeard, as well as Flycatcher working in the halls, as well as the line of a few Fables waiting to enter the Business Office and see Mayor Cole or Snow. When they reached the Business Office, they stepped inside seeing the never-ending space containing magical items and flying ships circling around in a never-ending cycle as well as Snow herself sitting at her desk working through Fabletown business.

McCree let out a long whistle as he looked around the room, hands on his hips. "This is a pretty impressive place ya got here, Ms. Snow." McCree claimed as he sat down in a chair nearby. Bigby couldn't help but smirk when he feels the need to pick on Jesse, "Don't give me that shit. You've been here before, McCree." He saw Jesse cast him a side glance and smirk of his own before he heard him continue, "I'm sure Bigby told ya that we both found some footage we'd like for you to take a look at. A bit of word to the wise... its rather disturbing." 

Snow looked up from her spot at her desk and stood up straightening up her dress skirt and coat, just as the Business Office flying monkey Bufkin flew in and landed on her desk with a book in his arms. "Hello, Sheriff McCree, and yes, I got the call from Bigby before you two left the Farm," Snow said gently and to-the-point, "He said that you two got the tape out with no problems, thank goodness. So shall we then?" She saw the both of them nod and she turned to Bufkin asking gently, "Can you wheel in the television set, Bufkin?" "Right away, Miss Snow," he chimed in before flying off and Snow turned back to the two wolves, "Did you two find any physical evidence while you were there?"

Bigby nodded before pulling out a small, bundled napkin from his pocket and opened it up to show the beetle they retrieved from the Farm. "Jesse found this around where TJ disappeared. We thought it was odd that this was the same beetle he gave you that also ended up there at the Farm considering where they're usually at in the world," Bigby said on-point, "Last I checked, TJ gave you the only one he had before he left for the Farm so how could he have gotten another one so easily there? There are no blue willow beetles in the New York state."

"We're thinkin' the figure used the beetle to lure TJ over before swiping him, meaning this bastard's probably been stalkin' the kids for awhile to learn their interests to get their trust." McCree stated while putting out his cigar when Snow pointed to the 'no smoking' sign. 

"The.. thing shows up around the 10 minute mark, it's hard to notice until TJ gets grabbed then you can see it looks to be made out of smoke. Means that we're probably dealing with a rogue Fable again, Snow," Bigby growled lightly, scratching his cheek as he leaned back forward in his chair. "I don't remember any Fable being able to turn into smoke though... not off the top of my head at least."

"That is pretty strange," Snow said walking around before leaning back against her desk in front of them, "I don't remember any other Fables being able to do that either. Then again, there's a lot of Fables that we've all forgotten over the years. We can use the Mirror and search the books later with Bufkin to see if we can find any and all Fables matching that description. We find them, we might have a chance at finding those missing children." 

As she saw the wolves agreeing with her, Snow spotted movement from her peripheral and spotted Bufkin fluttering closer and wheeling in the television and VCR set on a wheel-in rack. After Bufkin did a quick plug-in and set up, they put in the tape and reviewed the footage, seeing that their statement was in fact true. It was disturbing enough for her to get a visual shiver throughout her body and it was making her feel unsteady - if not uncomfortable - upon seeing the abduction happen. "This is.. so surreal," she finally said, voice quivering lightly, "To think they could just so easily snatch up someone once they get in range. Those poor kids.."

"Which is why we need to move quickly. Let's look through books of Fables and see if we can find any Fable that might be our culprit." Bigby remarked before straightening up and stretches before waiting for Bufkin to get the hint to grab the books, which of course he didn't. "Bufkin.... that means get the books." Bigby growled lightly after waiting a few moments, sighing and rubbing a hand across his face when Bufkin took off, only to smack into a nearby bookshelf.

They heard Jesse let out a stiffed laugh before speaking up, "Hungover I take it?" Snow could only let out a thick sigh, as if recalling the situation before replying, "Unfortunately, yes. He drank a full bottle of wine last night, so he's still feeling the effects of the night before. He couldn't take aspirin so Swineheart gave him a herbal tea to drink throughout the hour." Jesse barked out a light laugh along with a light slap on the knee, "Can't hold his liquor, huh?"

"Not everyone can handle 4 beers in one sitting, Jesse. As I recall, your record was 12 beers in 3 minutes during your younger years. As for you Bufkin, get your shit together already... hungover at noon." Bigby huffed, shaking his head as Bufkin returned minutes later with a small stack of books.

Snow couldn't help but sneer when she noticed Jesse's proud smile at Bigby's declaration of his drinking record. She knew that Jesse and Bigby drank a lot and often, so they would sometimes have small competitions with each other to see who could hold their alcohol better than the other. It was an even match, however, so there's no absolute winner for alcohol tolerance. By instinct during the whole thing, she looked down to check her watch and her expression seemed to shift slightly before speaking up. "You might want to check the nearest clock you two, because it's not noon, it's almost four and YOU have somewhere you need to be, McCree, and FAST," Snow announced as if in a hurry.

McCree shot up out of his chair and quickly looked at the clock on the wall before letting out a groan. "Good Lord! Abbie's gonna be mighty sore with me if I'm late!" McCree yelled out as he sprinted out of the room and down the hallway. "What was that all about?" Bigby asked as he stared down the hallway McCree ran through, confused as to why the southern wolf was nervous and panicking over the time when they had a case to solve.

"Did you already forget that he has a 7-going-on-8 year old daughter and that it's a Wednesday," Snow asked with a sarcastic tone and smile, "When McCree can't find a sitter for Abbie, he has to pick her up from school himself. I'll still never understand why he insisted on sending her to a Mundy school but I'm sure he has his reasons. But, at least we agreed to leave him alone on weekends to spend time with his 'little pup' as he calls her." "I can't imagine his struggle of being a single father and being a sheriff of Fabletown. And with what you two discovered with this new case, I'm sure he's even more worried for his daughter now," Bufkin said, sounding worried; the little flying primate certainly never hid his worry when it came to those he showed concern for.

"Ah right.. well we should get started on this already. We wasted too much time sitting around and chatting." Bigby grumbled as he grabbed one of the books and proceeded to look through it, hoping to find a Fable involving smoke or shadows that can become solid.

Snow let out a small nod as she leaned against the table grabbing one of the books to start looking for the Fable by description alone. With no name they couldn't use the Magic Mirror and with no solid description on what this 'thing' looks like, it'd be hard to find it drawn in any book on the Fables. She knew it would be a long time before they found any lead on who they were looking for. If it wasn't a Fable, then they might have a new threat on their hands.. 

While the extensive Fable search was going on, Jesse was running as fast as he could full-tilt toward the elementary school he had Abbie attending. He could see the cars and adults showing up since the students were let out to be picked up. Some kids were leaving on their own, others were going with parents and into cars, but he knew his girl would be waiting at the front of the school for him. He was right on time.

Abbie was looking around with a worried look as she didn't see her daddy yet, while the other kids and her friends were being picked up and walking home already. She was about to sit down when she spotted McCree out of breath and sweating as he jogged up to her. "Are you ok daddy? Why are you sweaty?" Abbie asked as she held onto his hand before making a grossed out face and wipes her hand on his pants.

Jesse was winded but let out a breathy laugh straightening himself out. "Sorry 'bout that darlin'. I just left the Business Office from workin' with Bigby and Miss Snow. We're workin' on a new case and we had quite a bit of evidence from the Farm to work with. That's all I can say for now," was all he was able to say between breaths, still trying to catch his air back. He gently petted her head, lightly ruffling up her oaken curls and hearing her laugh in reaction. "I was worried I would'a been late 'cause'a what we had. But, I'm here now, pup," Jesse said, his breath sounding more steady while he lightly preened her curly hair back into place.

"Why didn't you just take the bus over here? You still would've arrived on time, daddy." Abbie asked as she let him fix her curls while they walked. "Also you smell like cigarettes again, daddy." 

Jesse couldn't help but let out a small chortle with her quip about how he smelled. His daughter was always sarcastic and sharp-witted so he should've expected such a quick remark. "With the traffic I saw, I would'a been super late darlin'. Trust me on that one," Jesse returned with a big smile, "And ya can't blame me that Bigby likes to smoke that crap brand he's got. He smokes several Huff'n'Puffs in one day more than I smoke one cigar and I try to make sure it's not lit around you. I know the smell from it can be a bit too much for ya, darlin'." He then gave a light pat on her back urging her to walk on with him while they talked the rest of the way home.

As Jesse and Abbie walked off the school grounds hand in hand, they continued their light banter and conversation unaware that they were being watched. Despite the sizable crowd outside the school, not a lot noticed the 1955 Rolls Royce Wraith parked nearby; windows were tinted so no one could see the riders inside. Well, at least the driver and the one he was escorting. The young man showed no fear for the passenger in the back, but he did glance back with his rear-view mirror when he started to hear a rhythmic clicking.

The clicking being the sound of a set of blue, sharpened nails on a man's hand tapping against the door frame, tapping in an impatient, almost nervous, rhythm. The tapping from the nails continued a moment more making the driver start to feel uneasy, but then the sound ceased when they spotted Jesse and Abbie walk around the front of the school property. The man withdrew his claw-like nails then lightly tapped the back of the driver's seat, urging him to drive on. The young man gave a light nod before starting up the engine and drove off.

He's been doing this escort everyday for almost two weeks now. If he spoke up as to why he was doing this, he would most likely be in a lot of trouble for even considering asking. He's heard that the man he's escorting is not one you want to approach with stupid questions. After all, he was one of two Fable lords that were very dangerous, so why risk his neck for something he shouldn't bother asking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMFG ANOTHER STORY?!? X'D Yes ;w; But this is a collab project with another fellow fanfiction writer, KingNCP over on Tumblr and DeviantArt. He has great stuff & he agreed to help out with this since his OCs will be in this X3 Found a place for them in this crossover AU so I hope he likes it and I hope you lovelies will enjoy our work too 0w0'


	2. Snatched Close to Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a few days of scouring, no luck as well as no new leads. They come to the conclusion that there's a new Fable or entity threatening their community. A few new faces show up, and even bright smiles to give some hope. But then, something scary springs up and throws them in for an even bigger worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me and KingNCP are still going strong with this so PLEASE give us comments on how we're doing X3 AND REMINDER: This series DOES take place in the 90's so OF COURSE you're gonna see 90's references here and there X'D

Fabletown.. few days later..

“A fucking dead end..” Bigby growled angrily as he slammed a book shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly frustrated at the lack of leads they had to go on as they did not find any Fable about someone with the ability to turn into smoke or shadows. He flopped into a nearby chair and lit a cigarette to try and calm down while Snow continued to flip through each book in case they had missed anything. “Snow, we looked 4 times in each book. We got NOTHING.”

"That doesn't mean we should just give up, Bigby," Snow interjected, "You know we can't stop if this new threat is constantly taking Fable children. We HAVE to put an end to it and we won't get there by just dropping the only source of information we have. Have you asked around with other Fables to see if they'd recognize it?" As she was talking, they could hear the door to the Business Office open and a set of heavy feet walking their way, and when Snow turned to see who it was she was lightly taken aback. "McCree, what're you doing here," she asked, sounding a bit on edge. "Dropped Abbie off with a few friends for today and she's gonna be with them until this evening when I gotta pick her up," Jesse said to-the-point, walking in with a hand in his pocket and his other hand reaching up ready to extinguish his cigar, "Sounds like things aren't goin' good since the last I was here."

"Yeah no shit... we've hit a brick wall while you were gone. No Fable matches anything we saw on that tape. We need something... another clue to help us figure out what exactly we are dealing with and what they are capable of doing." Bigby grunted as he took a drag from his cigarette. "As for your suggestion, Snow... asking someone is they have heard of a thing that can turn into smoke and swipes kids is not a good idea."

Snow let out a small sigh before speaking up while closing one of the book of Fables she finished flipping through, "I know it might seem like a bad idea to mention it stealing children but you can leave that part out and just ask if they've seen it just by description alone. We don't want to start another panic like the Crooked Man situation so we can not mention the stolen children." "And what if they DO bring it up, Miss Snow? What if they heard about it happenin' at the Farm and ask if it'll happen here," Jesse asked once he was close enough to lean against the desk, "Last I heard, you guys tried to keep the last case under wraps an' yet word still got out about those two Fable girls that got killed. Same thing could happen here since word travels around fast in Fabletown."

"Unfortunately, he's right, Snow. Rumours and news spreads to Fabletown like a plague. As soon as someone catches wind of what happened at the Farm, its gonna be known all over Fabletown. Which means, the others might already know what's going on and might refuse to talk to us in fear of their own safety." Bigby added, walking over and lazily flicking the ashes from his cigarette into the trashcan next to her desk.

"Like I said, it's only children that's getting taken, and from what you told me, this... thing.. is making sure they're always alone before luring them in and snatching them away," Snow interjected, "I know they'll all be worried for their children but we already have a Neighborhood Watch program in effect and we'd have to heavily advise for them to keep a sharp eye on their children. Again that's only if they ask." Jesse let out a light laugh adjusting lightly, "Always thinkin' ahead, huh, Miss Snow?" 

"At times I have to so we can be a step or two ahead of the problem at hand," Snow pointed out before continuing, "And if this is a crook that's stealing children, you mind try asking at the Trip Trap first? I know Holly might get suspicious. But I know you'll come up with something. Just try not to reveal too much, please." "I think we can manage that, huh, Bigs," Jesse asked lightly nudging his elbow against Bigby's arm.

"We'll do our best, Snow. Just make sure to keep an ear out about the Farm in case we have more kids go missing there. Lets go, McCree.... we've already wasted too much time sitting around." Bigby muttered as he walked out of the room, tossing his used cigarette into the trash after making sure it was burnt out.

Jesse nodded before giving Snow a light nod of his head and followed behind Bigby as they walked out the Business Office. Once they stepped out the Woodlands, they took a taxi cab to the destination they were asked to go. It was a mostly silent drive, but Jesse tried to strike up conversation on the way: talking about Abbie, her asking how things were at the Business Office, even offering for Bigby to look after her sometime. He heard Bigby gently decline, but Jesse knew it's because he was a busy as he was with Fabletown business.

Once they arrived at the Trip Trap, the underground bar next door to the Lucky Pawn, they were cautious on who and what to expect inside but they kept their heads straight for the job. The door swung open and once inside they spotted Gren(del) and Holly at the bar as well Jack running his mouth off while shooting off darts at a worn wall target. Usual crowd, but at least it was one they knew well enough. Once their footsteps were heard, Holly turned and looked their way. 

The white haired, tattooed woman appeared young, at least in her late 30s, but truth be told, she was a centuries-old troll under a strong glamour while she was in public. Bigby and Jesse had both seen what she looked like out of glamour, and that was when she was pissed off. They never wanted that happen to again so it's best to stay on her good side here. That is, at least, if Jack could try not to shoot his mouth off-

"That's one big hef-" McCree started before getting a sharp elbow to the gut by Bigby, who gave him a glare and a shake of the head before walking up to Holly with a hint of a smile. It HAD to be Jesse since he seemed to lack some common sense in this place.

"Hello Holly, it's been awhile... I'll take a whisky on the rocks and would you mind if I asked you and Gren a few questions?" Bigby asked, trying to play the nice guy role for the moment, silently knowing the two will just mock him for trying to act decent for once.

Holly let out a light noise recalling Jesse's close insult since Bigby stopped him, but she poured him a glass of Midas Gold regardless, "Whaddya wanna talk about, sheriff? Or should I say 'sheriffs' since there's two of you here," calmly asking while she spotted Jesse walking up toward the bar rubbing his abdomen. He knew she could be low on patience and thankfully it was a calm day today, but they had the feeling that after they started asking questions, things would be tense. Jesse spotted Bigby shot a glare at Jack behind them, and right away Jack held his hands up in defense keeping his mouth sealed. Thank god for that..

"You know alot of Fables around here... I was wondering if you ever heard of any Fable that could control shadows or turn into smoke. We've got a case we could use alot of help with as we've reached a dead end." Bigby admitted, a faint growl escaping his throat as he saw Gren smirk. "I'd appreciate any tips or knowledge on any Fable like that."

Holly watched Bigby sip on his alcohol while she spoke up, "As much as I know a lotta Fables around here, Sheriffs, I can honestly say that I don't know anybody by that detail. Never heard of someone who can control shadows and smoke. Why, what's this about a 'new case'?" Jesse took a light glance at Bigby before speaking carefully, "Like Bigby here said, we got a case that's taken a bit of a dead-end turn. We only have a visual on what the guy looks like and Bigby provided it." "Sounds a bit weird for someone like that," Holly spoke softly before spotting Gren's smirk, "Ya wanna say somethin', Gren?"

Gren simply smirked before taking a gulp from his beer and chuckled. "Yeah I do, actually... I just find it funny how whenever something goes wrong for Mr. Wolf here... he comes around and starts questioning us like we know what the hell is going on. Just seems a little shady to me." Gren simply remarked before downing the rest of his beer.

Jesse hated having the finger pointed at him as much as he hated seeing it at Bigby and Snow, so he decided to step in and speak up. "Listen, Grendel, we know that you guys always talk shit about us behind our backs, but just keep in mind that we also hear of shady folks comin' in an' out of this place like breeze whether y'all wanna admit it or not. If ya know this person we're lookin' for then now would be a mighty fine time to speak up about it, otherwise just shut yer ass up and stay out of it like ya always do. From the footage we saw, this new guy is dangerous to make even YOU have nightmares and we need to get'a hold of him NOW so speak up or get out!" Holly blinked a few times in shock. She never heard of a lot of people aside from Bigby talk back to Gren as long as she'd known him to step foot in her bar.

"Listen puppy, I'll say whatever shit I want to you or Bigby. And anyway, like Holly said, she don't know shit about anything like that. I never seen anything like that. So you two mutts just wasted not only your time, but our time." Gren sneered before ordering another beer. "Go run back to the pound with your tails between your legs."

Jesse could only huff with his arms crossed before leaning Bigby's way, "I admit to bein' a big pup, don't give a shit, I'm like that for my li'l girl, but what I do mind" as he raised himself back up before continuing, "is that despite that we'll take Holly's word for it for now, she has lied to us in the past and don't take kindly to it. Sorry Holly." He saw her just shrug lightly with her arms crossed before he continued, "This thing will be more than a waste of YOUR time unless ya start tellin' the truth for once. Ya might've thought to fool us but ya can't. We know when people are lyin' and I can tell clear as day that YOU are lyin' to us about somethin' Grendel. What do you think Bigby?"

Grendel rolled his eyes before crossing his arms over his chest with an annoyed look on his face as he listened to McCree's statement. "Well guess what, mutt? I don't know anything. But I will say this, we will be on the lookout. If we see something that matches the freak's description, we'll contact you two. But like I said before, HOLLY and I DON'T KNOW SHIT." Grendel slowly spat at Jesse, clearly done talking with the southern wolf.

Jesse could feel Bigby's eyes on him after he got spat on. Jesse just stood frozen for a second and they could hear a set of footsteps - most likely Jack's - rushing out of the bar, as if he sensed that a fight was going to happen. Jesse just let out a small laugh and wiped at where Gren spat at him. "I tried being reasonable, Bigs" Jesse said, his tone suggesting that he's had enough, "I promise it won't be much." Then before anyone had a chance to react, Jesse lunged forth grabbing Gren by the collar of his jacket and pinned him to the bar quickly fastening his arms behind his back. Just as Gren was starting to struggle against him, Jesse quickly whispered something to him with a growl-like hushed tone and from her spot, Holly could see his expression go from angry to grim in seconds. After Jesse said his piece, he let Gren go and took a few steps back to let him recuperate himself before speaking up, "Feel like I refreshed your memory?"

Gren growled and got into Jesse's face, pressing his forehead against the southern wolf's as he shot daggers into Jesse's eyes. "As I said before, mutt.... I don't know shit. I suggest you get the hell out before I call Ms. Snow up and tell here you were starting up shit here at Holly's bar and used excessive force." Grendel threatened before nodding at Holly who picked up the phone near the bar counter. "Either get the hell out? Or enjoy getting a tongue lashing from ya lady, Bigby. Your choice."

Jesse at this point was about to snap but he was using every ounce of control he had in his system not to hit Gren and start another bar-fight in Holly's place. "Huh.. Seems like they don't give a shit about Fabletown or other Fables, much less the more innocent crowd. Just themselves, fucking surprise, surprise. Let's just get outta here, Bigby, so they can squat in their own selfish hatred while we deal with the problem ourselves, as usual," Jesse said while lightly pushing Gren back to get him out of his face. With a quick turn of his heels, Jesse just made his way toward the door while Bigby paid for his drink.

Grendel simply rolled his eyes and went back to enjoying a beer, pissed that the two sheriffs thought that they would know every Fable alive. "Dumb mutt needs to learn to fucking listen. I told his ass I don't know anything... does he give a shit? No... fucking tried to mess up my arm... AGAIN." Gren muttered as he took a large gulp from his beer. 

"Well if ya just told him what they wanted to know, ya wouldn't have ended up in that spat against one of the Sheriffs of Fabletown, what else'd ya expect," Holly said with a raised voice, honestly glad that there wasn't a bar-fight this time, "Besides, ya can't fool me. I saw the look on your face change when he had you pinned. What'd he tell you?" She stood with her arms crossed waiting patiently for his answer; Holly knew that once Gren had calmed down, he'd tell her. Then again, there's never much that he tells her..

"Ugh... fine. He said that Fable brats were being snatched up by some dude who can control smoke and turn into shadows. Said they think he'll strike in Fabletown soon. Holly I'm telling the truth, I know nothing!" Gren said, raising his voice slightly. "If I knew, I'd tell them! Hell if I see anything like that, I'll go and tell those pups!"

Holly let out a light laugh refilling his cup despite it being half-empty. "I believe ya Gren.. Good to know you still have a conscience," she said with a light smile. Despite Gren's hard exterior and foul mouth, he does have a soft side to him. It just takes a lot to draw it out of him. Meanwhile, outside Jesse was growling after biting into his cigar while they were walking out of the Trip Trap letting Bigby hail down a taxi. "That insufferable little- I swear I just wanna- Where does he get the nerve to-" Jesse cut himself off with another growl as the taxi pulled up beside them.

"McCree calm down. I know Gren, he would've told us any info if he knew who the Fable was..." Bigby replied as he patted Jesse's shoulder, trying to calm the younger wolf down. "Listen, we can try talking with the neighborhood watch and see if they have seen anything. If not, then we'll have to keep our eyes and ears open and look for more details back at the Farm."

Jesse looked back at Bigby before letting out a thick sigh, "I guess you're right, Bigs.. Let's just get to it," was all he said before climbing into the taxi. They took the ride to the set office where the Neighborhood Watch was set up near the Woodlands and after they did their business there, they stepped back out into the streets for a much needed smoke. As they were on the street, they heard a young man screaming, "YO HEADS UP!!!" and they turned fast enough to see a dark-skinned young man with thick dreadlocks speeding in their general direction on roller-blades. 

Bigby simply raised an eyebrow before taking a step back as the young man sped past them, watching with a curious look as he saw the rollerblades on the man's feet. "What the hell are those things?" Bigby asked to McCree, lightly elbowing him and nodding to the gear.

A light snort slipped from Jesse, close to a chortle, as he couldn't believe Bigby didn't know what they were, "They're called roller blades, Bigs. They're like ice skates, but with wheels," then he turned in the direction of the young man calling out loudly, "Frogger! Ain't you supposed to be watchin' Abbie?!" As soon as he called out to the kid, they saw him turn on his skates after slowing down and faced toward them showing he seemed to be in his early 20's with thick, dark dreadlocks to match his dark skin and brown eyes. 

"Sorry, Mr. McCree. I had to rush to the store for somethin' real quick. Didn't know you were in this part of town." "It's all good, kiddo. Bigby, this is Lucio, he's part of Toad's family and YES he has a glamour," Jesse said as they saw Lucio skating closer. "Actually more toward the Frog line, but, yeah Mr. Toad's kinda like an uncle. My folks are from the old Queen of Hearts' court but THANKFULLY they managed to get away before she went crazy," Lucio explained with a bright smile while lightly swaying on his skates, "As for the glamour sheriffs," he proceeded to pull out a chained necklace that was tucked under his A-shirt, revealing it was a engraved metal container similar to Greenleaf's glamour tubes but had much different carvings embedded into it, "It's safe and sound. Not to mention sturdy too."

"Sheriff Bigby Wolf, nice to meet ya kid. Honestly didn't know Toad had more family besides his son. Never mentioned you before, but nice work on your glamour. Just be sure to remember to have it on you at all times if you need to go out in public. Can't have a talking frog causing a scene." Bigby replied, offering his hand for a handshake.

Lucio had a soft laugh tucking his glamour back into his shirt before taking the handshake with a firm grip, "Yes sir, sheriff, sir. And I wouldn't say that we're direct family, but after what they've all went through back in the Homelands, we just kinda stuck together ya know? Besides, everyone in Fabletown knows all about the sheriffs. Especially since you, Sheriff Wolf, who helped to take down the Crooked Man several months ago, thank god. Anyways, you two wanna walk an' talk? Just heading to the store for a few things. We ran short on some food back home so Hana sent me out to get some refills. Simple stuff: bread, cheese, and milk. Hana also asked for soda but I'm skimming on that since I can only get so much," he finished with a nervous grin.

Bigby simply nodded with a faint smile on his face before lighting up a cigarette as he listened to Lucio, chuckling at the last part about the soda. "I'm sure she'll manage without it, kid. As for us, we better head back to Ms. Snow and see if she has found anything."

Lucio gave a strong nod of his head still lightly swaying on his skates before speaking up, "Yes sir, sheriff. I'll tell Abbie that I ran into you, Mr. McCree and let her know that you're doing ok. What time do we expect you to get her?" "I did say later this evenin' but at this point it's hard to tell with this new case. But, I promise I'll be by before or a li'l after ten tonight to pick'er up," Jesse replied while lightly scratching at the side of his chin in his beard. With another nod, Lucio seemed to prepare for a launch before speaking with a perked tone, "Alrighty sir! See ya around then," before turning in a circle on his roller blades before taking off down the street.

"Talk about having alot of energy... but the kid seems to have a good head on his shoulders. I see why you let him look after Abbie for you. As for the time..." Bigby started before looking at his watch, seeing it was 8:33 PM. "We have an hour and a half to work with before you go get Abbie. Let's hurry back to Snow, and hope she has some info we can use."

Jesse nodded before he walked on with Bigby toward the Business Office since it wasn't far; definitely no need for a taxi when it was just a few blocks away. As they walked Jesse felt he had to ask Bigby about one other thing. "Hey, partner, mind tellin' me if the yakuza clan, the Shimadas, are givin' ya any trouble? They've been awful quiet lately and honestly, I don't like it. Makes my nose itch.. At least, I haven't heard anything about their activity as of late and I dunno if they've just been showin' up at opposite sides of town out'a my line of sight an' all."

"The Yakuza? Can't say I have, never really had a problem with them in this part of town to be quite honest. They a big problem in your area?" Bigby asked, tossing his cigarette into the ashtray post near the door before heading inside the building and down the hall towards the Business Office. "I'll keep an eye out for them though." 

"Naw, the Shimadas have just been doin' the usual shady business as any mob family would do, but I've managed to stop them once I've caught on to their operations in action," Jesse replied before letting out a small laugh, "Kinda pissin' off the older Shimada with my pickin' but, ey, what can ya do?" He smiled bigger spotting Bigby smirk at hearing Jesse's doings. Truth be told, Jesse rather enjoyed messing with the Shimada family, mainly the older Shimada, so he kept on to this game of Cat and Mouse for as long as he could.

"Just make sure you keep not only yourself, but Abbie safe from the Yakuza. You know the rumors about their ruthlessness and love for torture." Bigby warned as he entered Snow's office, flopping onto one of the chairs and sighs before shaking his head when Snow was about to ask how it went. "Nothing... Gren swears he doesn't know anything..."

Snow could only let out an exasperated sigh, "Great. We might as well be back at square one. Or at least two seeing as how we have a few small clues.. But, we can't stop now. We have to keep going. I'm sure Mayor Cole wouldn't want any more children taken from their families so we can't give up." Jesse could hear the determination in her voice, admirable but at times that determination could be a stubborn route. Good quality to have, but at times uncontrollable; gotta learn when to slow down sometimes. "I agree, Miss Snow, we will find those kids and whoever's behind all this behind bars for good. But as for me, I gotta pick up my li'l missus and get up on home." "I understand, McCree," Snow replied, sounding calmer than before, "You be safe with her." "Will do, ma'am," McCree finished with a light tip of his head.

Bigby simply nodded at Snow's statement before patting Jesse's back as he walked out of the room and headed on his way to pick up Abbie. "I'm gonna take a look at that security tape we have... maybe we missed something.... there's gotta be more to this." Bigby sighed out as he grabbed the tape from Snow, who had it stored in her desk for safekeeping. 

The rest of the night seemed to be uneventful as far as the case went, but for Jesse it went smooth enough with picking up Abbie and taking her home for the night. The following morning, he had agreed with Abbie to let her spend one more day with Lucio and Hana since she claimed they were having a lot of fun. So hearing how happy she was, he agreed on the condition that he could spend the day with them as well, in which case Abbie said yes and she didn't mind. However, when they reached Lucio's apartment they saw him open the door looking a bit panicked and fidgety.

"M-Mr. McCree... I uh... please come in..." Lucio stuttered, quickly looking around with a scared look in his eyes. "Abbie, why don't you go play video games in the game room? I need to talk to your dad real quick, ok?" He said as he knelt down to Abbie's height with a faint smile. "I'll be there in a bit."

Abbie noticed his panicked tone and worried speech, it made her sapphire eyes sting a bit. It hurt her to see Lucio upset, she'd seen it once and never wanted to see it again, but this time she had to listen and wait. "Ok, Lucio, but don't take too long or else Imma beat your record in Mario Kart 64," she said with a light smile trying to look optimistic for him. She gave a quick hug around his waist before going down the hall to the game room Lucio had fixed up and his 'music studio' was next door to it so he was sure to be entertained somehow.

Once the door to the game room was shut, Jesse immediately led Lucio into the living room and had him sit down. He could sense his panic and worry, hell, he could hear it in his speech pattern and voice alone, and he wanted to be sure he was settled in one spot before saying what he had to say. "Deep breaths, Lucio and tell me what's wrong," Jesse said while he took a seat next to him, "I can hear it clear as day that somethin' ain't right."

Lucio nodded and took a few breaths before looking up at Jesse and Jesse could see clear worry and a saddened look in his eyes. "Its Hana.... she.... she's missing. I don't know what happened, her wallet was on the floor near her apartment when I went to look for her and her door was open. I-I talked to her neighbors and they said they smelled smoke and saw some shadow move along the walls away from her apartment." Lucio explained, covering his face as his shoulders shook. "I...I don't know what to do....."

He was frozen, Jesse couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was exactly how it was at the Farm. The thing has moved its way to their home now.

But Jesse had to keep his composure at the moment, but all that slipped out was, "God.. Here too?" He didn't realize that Lucio had heard him so by the time he looked over to comfort him he saw Lucio looking up at him, eyes filled with a light terror. Lucio heard him so he wouldn't be able to talk his way out of this one; he had to come clean. No beating around the bush.

Taking a deep breath, Jesse started to confess, "I ain't gonna lie to you, Lucio, this ain't the first time this has happened. This is an on-going case. This.. thing.. whatever it is has stolen Fable children from the Farm and now it's made its way here too. This thing is crafty and able to disappear once it's snagged what it wants," Jesse said calmly and to the point, "We've been tryin' everything in- and outside the Business Office in the Woodlands to track this thing down but it keeps slippin' away with each new clue we find."

"Woah woah woah... you mean to tell me that you knew about this smoke creature... thing... and that's why you've been needing us more these last few days? Oh man.... this is some messed up stuff..." Lucio muttered, gripping his arms tightly. "W-Well how're you gonna stop the thing? With a vacuum cleaner?" Lucio joked as he let out a weak chuckle before shaking his head. "Hana is with that thing.... we need to save her." 

Lucio was losing his cool, Jesse could see that, and he had to help calm him down and fast since Abbie was still in the apartment, "Lucio, hey kid calm down," was all he said as he gently rubbed his back with one hand and had a gentle hold of his shoulder with the other. He knew this kind of panic so he tried his best to give reassurance and comfort, "We will find her, as well as the other Fable kids, I promise, but I need you to keep your head straight about all this. We can't start a panic over this, but we can't give up on all this either.

"I'd be lyin' if I said we knew how to deal with this, but if that were the case we wouldn't be dealing with this problem of more kids disappearin'. For the time being, just keep as quiet as you can about this and keep a sharp eye out for clues or people of interest about this. I'll go talk to Mr. Song at the White Rabbit Clockworks and let him know about Hana before asking a few questions. I'll even check all her favorite spots for clues. As nerve-wracking as this is, I need your help to help us find this thing before it can do more harm to more Fable kids, ok," Jesse finished, asking in a gentle yet stern tone.

"Wait... I'm not sitting by and just being a watchdog... or... frog. I'm helping, Hana got kidnapped and she's my best friend. I'm not taking no for an answer, Mr. McCree." Lucio said sternly, staring into Jesse's eyes. "You should ask Mr. Wolf how stubborn my family can be if you don't believe me."

This was getting out of hand now. Jesse knew Lucio was worried but wasn't about to let him throw his life away to hunt down Hana. He knew he was devoted to his closest friends, but he wasn't thinking straight. "Trust me, I know how stubborn the Frogs & Toads can be, but believe me, if you try to tackle this head-on then you're gonna end up in the same place as her and who knows who or what will do whatever to you when you're there, then what help would you be to Hana," he asked a bit more stern than before, eager to get his point across, "I know the feelin' of wanting to help someone you care about, I feel that every day, and even more so when Abbie was taken a few years back. I'm sure you remember that.

"When I charged in head-first, without thinking clearly, I almost got killed and my daughter woulda been an orphan. If you charged in head-first the same thing could happen to you so, please, think things through before you spring into action. So to speak..," a light laugh escaped before continuing with a softer tone, "If things took a turn for the worst, Hana would be without her best friend, Abbie would cry for you every day even if you were missing, and your family, even TJ and Toad, would mourn a fallen son. And frankly, Fabletown would be without a smilin' face to give hope like you do for Abbie.

"Recklessness and stubbornness can be confused for one another but it can also get you killed if you're not careful. I'm not askin' you to stay on the sidelines, I'm askin' you to help us by bein' an extra set of eyes and ears. Now that this threat has reached Fabletown, we need all the help we can get to find this thing and stop it for good," Jesse finished gently gripping his shoulders to show he meant what he said, "Understand?"

"But I... Fine... but I swear I'm gonna help more later than just being a dude who keeps his eyes out. I wanna help on this case sometime in the future." Lucio sternly said before getting a glass of water to calm down. "You want a soda? I got some in the fridge."

"If ya have a Cola then yeah," Jesse replied with a light laugh, before standing up. He could tell things were gonna get tense from now on, now that the threat was now closer to home than he wanted..

At that moment, in an abandoned warehouse near the Manhattan harbor, a thick wisp of black smoke snaked its way around the facility before slipping into a crack in the floor leading to an underground section of the area. There it maneuvered its way around finding its destination: a cell block. Inside the cells were a variety of young Fables, including TJ, in separate cells and they all recoiled against the closest corner they could find when they spotted the familiar black shape flow by their cells. Finding an empty cell, the shapeless mass began to spiral out a shape of a thin young woman, soon shown to be Hana Song, before tossing her inside landing on her back.

As she landed with a yelp, a metallic clawed hand emerged from the shadows and swung the cell door harshly closed before the smoke began to flex around again into something intimidating. As it took shape, the figure revealed that of a tall, strongly built man wearing a thick leather trench-coat reaching down to his feet with a hood and hiding his face was an eerie white mask, its sharp features seeming similar to that of an owl on the hunt. A deep, raspy laugh could be heard from it as they heard the locks in the cell door click locking Hana inside before he walked toward the exit.

"Four more to go," was all he said as he walked out of the cell-block.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE STOPPED IT ON A CLIFFHANGER~ We're brats aren't we? XD


End file.
